Sofa bed



F. J. REILLY Aug. 11, 1953 .SOFA BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1949mmvrm F. J. REILLY Aug. 11, 1953 SOFA BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2,1949 IN V ENTOR. 7 262722 Jfi'ezg N BY 7 i may Patented Aug. 11, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOFA BED Frank .1. Reilly, Winter Park, Fla.

Application J ulyZ, 1949, Serial No. 102,837

4 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to a sofa bed adapted for use either asa full size bed or as a sofa. It is the general aim of this invention toprovide a soft of generally conventional appearance, yet having itsparts so arranged and correlated with each other that it may beconverted into a bed quickly and easily, yet at the same time ofrelatively simple mechanical construction so that it is not expensive tomake or complex to operate.

In the pursuance of this general aim it is a specific object of theinvention to provide a sofa bed wherein the same cushions utilized asthe mattress of the bed are employed as the seat and back when thedevice is used as a sofa. This is a departure from the teachings of manyconventional folding beds or sofa bed developments in which the back orcushions of the sofa are discarded and a separate mattress employed, andit is one of the objects of this invention to avoid duplication of thecushion structures and the consequent cost thereof by employing the sameupholstery, cushions and springs for both of the dual uses of thedevice, yet to do so without sacrifice of comfort or convenience ofoperation.

A further specific object is the provision of a folding sofa bedcharacterized by a neat, trim and attractive appearance, either whenopened or closed, and having all of the several parts of the structurepermanently connected together so that they cannot come apart and becomesepae rated, as often occurs with previously designed expedients.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sofa bedwherein the several cushions forming the bed can be quickly, easily andconveniently moved from extended position in horizontal relationship toeach other to an upright position to serve as a sofa, yet wherein thecushions are united in a manner whereby the upright cushions cannot beaccidentally released during use.

The foregoing objects are accomplished according to the presentteachings for the provision of a sofa frame having a seat cushionpermanently mounted thereon, together with a back frame comprising twooppositely disposed cushions hinged together at their upper edges andmounted on a shiftable carriage on the sofa frame, so that they normallystand in upright position along the back of the sofa seat, but can beshifted forwardly across the seat and then opened outwardly intoside-by-side horizontal positions directly in front of the seat of thesofa.

The preferred form of the invention is illusa 2 Y tratedin the drawingsof this specification wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sofa bed according to theseteachings in upright position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 1 with the partsshown in extended position to serve as full size bed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken between the end panel .and cushionsof the bed shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on a plane ofthe line 4-4 of Figure 3 with the structure in the position shown indotted lines.

The device comprises, in general, a main frame shown as consisting of alongitudinal rail 10 and a pair of end panels H and I2 provided with asofa seat 13. The end panels may be of conventional construction or mayeven be omitted if desired. The seat is permanently mounted on the mainframe and preferably provided with internal springs and padding so thatit is resilient and comfortable.

The back frame consists of two separate cushions I4 and I5. These arehinged together at their upperedge by the hinges l6 and the cush ion I5is provided with a pair of pivotbrackets I! at its lower corners so thatboth cushions I4 and I5 may be supported on the pivot studs l8 mountedon a pair of shiftable carriages 2|. These carriages each comprise aflat plate on which a plurality of grooved wheels 22 are mounted toengage a carriage rail 23. The carriage rails are secured to the mainframe in any convenient manner, as by the screws 20 extending into theend panels. The rails 23 extend from the back of the seat'to the frontthereof (Figure 3) and are preferably arched or curved with their centerportion higher than their ends so that they follow the general curvatureof the convex upper surface of the sofa cushion 13. Each of the railshas a carriage limiting stop or abutment 25 at the rearward end, and asimilar abutment 26 at its forward end to limit the travel of thecarriage.

Each of the carriages 2| also has a limiting stop 24 against which thebrackets I! come to bear when the cushions I 4 and I5 are in theirupright position. These stops prevent the cushions [4 and I5 fromtilting rearwardly beyond the position shown.

Examination of the dotted line showing of Figure 3 will show that whenthe carriages are at the back of the sofa seat they are at rest at thelowermost point in the rail, so that they will;

maintain themselves in position by gravity. The tilting brackets I1 andstops 24 are also so related that they allow the back cushions I4 and Ito tilt backwardly at any desired angle. A spring detent 21 may beprovided between the cushions I4 and I5, although this is ordinarilyentirely unnecessary since the forces of gravity will hold the cushionsin the position shown. The cushions I4 and I5 may be shifted intohorizontal position by d'rawing' 'thein" forwardly, causing thecarriages 2 I to roll forward along the rails 23 and stop against theabutment 26, as shown in the full line position of Figure 3. The'cushion I5 swings downwardly and the lower end-- of the cushion I4 isdrawn outwardly to bring these both into horizontal position-on thesaine level as the cushion I3. Cushions I4 and- I5 are each providedwith pivoted legs 28"w'h'ich, as shown, are urged outwardly to extendedposition by springs 29. Thus as the cushions are separated and movethrough the broken line position illustrated in Figure 3, the legsspring downwardly" in position to cometo rest 'on the floor.

The opera-tionofmovingthe parts from ex-' tended; position to uprightposition is accomplished with' equal ease; merely by lifting thecushions I4 and I5 at-apoint near the hinge I6; placing-them inback-to-back relation with each other; and slid-ingtheentire carriagere'arwardly across the sofa seat. The closing movement of the-- hingedcushions I4" and I5 overcome the springs 29 on the-legs 28, so thatthese are'folded into retractedposition as the parts are returned toupright relationship.

From=the foregoing it willbe seen that the novel combination of cushionstructures here employed=makes possible the provision of a con-'vertible sofa bed in a much moresirnple, straight forward andconveniently used manner than accomplished by. prior teachings. The samecushions are used in all caseswhether the device is in upright positionforuse as a sofa or whether in extended position to serve as a fulrsizebedl- Only: three cushions I are employed for the purpose; and theseareat all times permanently connected to each other, so that no diflicultyis'en countered in fitting them together or takingthem apart. Theemployment of 1 each of i the'-' cushions in'a dual function makes itunnecessary to' provide-separate mattress structures or sepa rate sofacushions, and thus reduces' the cost ofmanufactureaccordingly.

The-form of the invention illustrated and described; herein is thepresentpreferred er'nbodF ment of this teaching, andis chosenasbeing-'particularlyvwel'l suited toa description of -the' prin' ciplesinvolved, but it is to'be' understood 'thattlie specific form'shown iscapable of some modification andavariation andthat the scope or the inventiveconcept is not'limited to the precisestruc- '6 ture' shown, 1 butextends toany modificationor variation thereof within the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention 'what-I claim as new and 'desire toproteet by' United States Letters Patent is:

1. A sofa of thecharacter havinga -seat and back rest portion,comprising in combination, end frame members extending substantiallyacrosseach end of theseat, a=curved track-ineach end member, a carriagehaving rollers-engaging opposite faces of said track to prevent bindingof 4 the carriage on the track, a back rriember'consisting of forwardand rear ward corhplementary sections 'hingedly connected-at their--upper ends when in theverticalnormal position; the lower end of therearward portion only being pivotally mounted on said carriage, legspivotally mounted near the opposite longitudinal edges of the forwardback portion and the forward longitudinal edge of the rear portion ofthe back member when said members are extended in a horizontal position,and means for moving said legs outwardly to an extended position duringthe conversion of said sofa into asofa bed. I g I n 2. A sofa" of thecharacter having a' seat and back rest portion, comprising incombination, end frame members extending substantially across each endof the seat, a curved track in each end member, a carriage havingrollers engaging opposite faces of said track to prevent binding of thecarriage'on the track, a back member consisting of forward and rearwardcomplementary sections hingedly connected at their upper ends when-in-the vertical normal position, the lower end of the rearward portiononly being pivotally mountedon said carriage, legs pivotally mountednear theopposite"longitudinal edges of'the for wardb'ack' portion andthe forward longitudinal edge'of "the rear portion of the back memberwhen' said members are extended in a horizontal posi-- tion', m'eans'formoving said legs outwardly 'toan extended position during the conversionof 'sairl sofaiinto a sofa bed, and-'springpies'sure means for retainingthe frontpo'rtionofthe'ba'ck meni ber against the rear portion of theback rfier'nber when in normal vertical position'. v V

3. Ina sofa of a characterhaving a seat and back member adapted to"b'eear'i dl y converted into asofa' bed by the mere application of'sl'ightp'res: sure'to the back member, in combination, a frame,abackniernber consisting 'of a rearward section and" a complementaryforwardsection hi'ngedly connected to the' rearward section at theirupper" ends and standing in opposed back to back relationship to saidrearward section when in'normal vertical position, a'pair of sup portingbracketsmountedbn the rearward sec-i tion on the opp'o'sitesidesand atthe lower' en ds of said rearward section; with each of; saidbracketsinicluding pivotal means; a pair of shift able carrierssecure'dto" and supporting" said brackets by sai'd'lpivotal meansan'd'guide meansecured to and" supporting said" carriers, with means for securin'gsai'dguide'means tothfram'e" whereby the forward and;rearward sections ofthe, back member are shif-tably supported on" said" frame by thecarriers an'd guide means; said carriers having a normal positionwherein said brackets'are positioned adjacent the rear corners of'theseat at theopposite sides'thereof, the brackets and carriers beingshiftablethrough curvilinear paths of motion upwardly, forwardly anddownwardly topositionsadjacent the for ward edge of the'seat at theopposite sides thereof; a" pair 'of legs pivotally mounted'on the underside ofthe forward sectio'no'f" the"b'a'ck member near the forwardlongitudinal edge thereof, with means for autornaticalljmoving said legsoutwardly todow'nw'ar-dly extending" positions during the conversion ofsaid sofa into a-sofa bed, and'reces'ses'inthe section s'of the bacmember 'receivingand' concealing'said legs between the sectionsof thebackrneinber whe'n in normal verticalpositionl 4? In:'asofa"ofa"character 'havinga seat and" back memberadapt'edto bereadily-convertedinto a-sofa bed by the mere application ofshght pressure tojthe 'backmeniberjin combination, a frame. a backmeniberconsistin g "of a rearward section and a complementary forward-section hinged'ly connected to the rearward section at their upper endsand standing in opposed back to back relationship to said rearwardsection when in normal vertical position, a pair of supporting bracketsmounted on the rearward section on the opposite sides and at the lowerends of said rearward section, with each of said brackets includingpivotal means, a pair of shiftable carriers secured to and supportingsaid brackets by said pivotal means and guide means secured to andsupporting said carriers, with means for securing said guide means tothe frame whereby the forward and rearward sections of the back memberare shiftably supported on said frame by the carriers and guide means,said carriers having a normal position wherein said brackets arepositioned adjacent the rear corners of the seat at the opposite sidesthereof, the brackets and carriers being shiftable to positions adjacentthe forward edge of the seat at the opposite sides thereof, a pair oflegs pivotally mounted on the under side of the forward section of theback member near the forward longitudinal edge thereof, with meansconcealing said legs between the sections of the back member when innormal vertical position.

FRANK J. REILLY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 857,315 Starkwather June 18, 1907 1,287,789 Strand Dec. 17,1918 1,457,984 Mandel June '5, 1923

